Caulking, putty, silicone, and other such fluent material are used for sealing various joints. The general terminology used is “caulking” and most of the time, its primary use, in residential settings, is either around a bathtub or other surfaces where water is present such as counter tops. Other uses can be around external windows to prevent water and moisture from getting inside the dwelling and cause damage. Caulking is not easy to apply in an even strip, especially for untrained hobbyist or anyone who does not get to apply caulking on a regular basis. Because caulking joints are sometimes applied to highly visible areas where aesthetic is of a concern, applying it cleanly is a must.
In order to solve this problem, inventors have developed a variety of tools to help in that unforgiving task:
In one invention, a tool provided with a V-shaped cross-sectional configuration made of two integrally connected flanges of resilient semi-soft material disposed at a larger than 90.degree. angle from one another so that forced insertion between said two walls produces a seal-tight connection between walls and flanges for removal of excess caulking material and for pressing of the caulking material in the seam. The tool is pushed forward so that an approximate 45.degree. evenly-pressed and smoothed bead of caulking material remains when the tool is moved between the walls over the approximately disposed caulking material at the seam.
In yet another invention, a hand tool including a handle and a working head, the head being essentially a thick, flat square piece of rubber like material with one corner affixed to the handle and an opposite corner, slightly rounded, directed away from the handle.
A hand held elongated flexible tool having a first end which is used for uniformly compressing and contouring of a bead of caulk, grout, putty, or other fluent material. The opposite end of the tool is then used to remove excess fluent material from the sides of the contoured bead. In a preferred form, the contouring end of the tool contains at least one concavity extending longitudinally from an extremity of that end and partially along one side of the tool.
A glazing tool which has a handle plate to be gripped between the thumb and forefinger of an operator. Two spaced trim blades have runner edges disposed at an angle to handle plates to trim the bead of glazing material. These runner edges angle toward the distal end of the back plate where a bead contact blade is disposed transversely of the runner edges. Perforate side wings proximal to the bead contact blade rise upwardly and outwardly of the trim blades to guide trimmed glaze material away from the tool.
An applicator tool for applying cementitious materials such as joint compound to corners. The tool has a handle and a head which is curved. A flexible elastomeric blade projects from the forward edge of the head to smooth the compound. A one-piece molded corner cap in a general trihedral shape is provided and when using the tool results in a smooth, uniform finished corner.
A hand held applicator tool adapted to work a mass of filler material into a gap to form a seal between two pieces. The tool includes a handle having attached thereto a tapered head defined by tapered lateral side edges thereof which cooperate to define a tip as well as a working surface. The head being upturned in the area adjacent the tip and including a rim margin adjacent the side edges and the tip wherein the rim margin is made of a flexible and resilient material.
A hand held tool for the uniform compressing, forming and simultaneous cleaning of a previously applied bead of caulking or other similar fluent material from a constructed joint. The tool includes an elongated handle and triangular head with working edges, the working edges being essentially an arrow-like shaped pieced or rubber-like material fixed to and extending slightly beyond the acute isosceles triangular shaped head portion of the tool at the extremity opposite an elongated handle, the acute angle of the working edges at the extremity is slightly rounded. The head and the handle contain a continuous longitudinal cavity provided for the collection of excess material gathered during the operation of the tool and in the preferred embodiment the head and handle are essentially molded as one unit in resilient plastic material with the handle expanding in a fan-like shape at the outer angles of the head.
A hand held tool specifically for the removal of a cured bead of caulk, sealant or other previously fluent material from a joint between substantially perpendicular surfaces. The tool comprises an elongate handle with two working heads. The primary working head at one end of the longitudinal axis of the handle features a chisel-like point angled down from the upper face of the handle and extending between two symmetrical flanking planes which are acutely angled to each other and also spread from the body of the handle. The planes are beveled to form sharp edges for scraping surfaces during an operation to remove a bead whilst the chisel-like point chisels the body of the bead from the joint. Axially opposite the primary head the second working head is essentially an angled chisel-like point extended from the upper face of the handle and is used to chisel, pick or gouge a bead from a joint.
Another device for removing a cured bead of caulk, sealant or other previously fluent material, and a method of using the same. The device includes a body member and a peeling element located adjacent to the front end of the body member. The peeling element includes at least two peeling points, where the first peeling point is located proximate to the topside of the peeling element and the second peeling point is located proximate to the underside of the peeling element. The device also includes an opening located between the peeling element and body member.